In the entire theater, Natsukawa Kanade might have been the only one unable to immerse himself in the film. It wasn't for lack of focus—on the contrary, concentrating any harder might have made things worse.
Fortunately, despite the film's intense artistic moments, they didn't last long. The narrative quickly returned to its more standard pace.
The flush on Kasumigaoka Utaha's face had gradually faded, and her murmured comments had ceased. For Kanade, this was a welcome change—now he only had to endure the odd noises coming from behind him.
Though the film's provocative scenes had ended, the events unfolding in the audience had not. The constant distractions severely disrupted Kanade's viewing experience, leaving him unable to fully engage with the movie.
After what felt like an eternity, the film finally concluded. As the credits began rolling, Kanade didn't feel inclined to linger and honor the production team. Instead, he grabbed Utaha, still savoring the film, and headed straight for the exit.
He avoided looking back, unwilling to risk catching sight of anything unpleasant.
"Phew… finally out of there…" Kanade muttered, his breath a bit ragged and his face slightly flushed.
The theater's oppressive atmosphere had been suffocating, leaving him dazed and struggling to clear his mind.
"I'm going to the restroom for a bit. Be right back," he said, not waiting for a reply before heading off. This time, he needed a moment to thoroughly collect himself—mentally and physically.
"Alright, go ahead…" Utaha replied lazily, her tone reflecting her own weariness.
She was feeling drained, both mentally and physically. The adrenaline rush from the film had heightened her focus and exhilaration, flooding her with inspiration. If she'd had her laptop, she would've been furiously writing during the screening. For now, she could only cling to those ideas in her memory.
But as the excitement faded, fatigue set in, and all she wanted was to close her eyes and rest.
Finding no better option, she chose a nearby seat and slumped into it, her arms resting on the armrests as she leaned forward and closed her eyes.
I'll just wait for him to come back and wake me up—like old times, she mused. Or perhaps she'd pretend to stay asleep and make him carry her…
But she was genuinely tired, and her idle musings gradually gave way to unconsciousness.
At some point, she vaguely registered the sound of footsteps drawing closer and stopping beside her.
That must be him, she thought. He's probably about to wake me up now…
She could almost picture it: Kanade gently shaking her shoulder, realizing she wouldn't wake, and then taking off his jacket—oh, wait, he wasn't wearing one. Maybe he'd just sit beside her, or… carry her to a hotel and lay her on the bed…
She could even hear his breathing, and then his voice, sharp and stern:
"What do you think you're doing?"
Startled by the tone, she opened her eyes.
Standing before her was not Kanade but a short, sleazy-looking man holding a mop. His hand was outstretched toward her for reasons she didn't want to imagine.
Kanade, however, was right there too. He stood next to the man, gripping his wrist firmly, his expression dark and threatening.
Fully awake now, Utaha quickly grasped the situation. With a look of utter disgust, she stepped behind Kanade.
"Senpai, are you okay?" Kanade asked, glancing back at her.
Utaha shook her head. "I'm fine. He didn't touch me."
Though she had nearly fallen asleep, her awareness of her surroundings hadn't completely faded. She had assumed the person approaching was Kanade. She never expected it to be some revolting creep.
Her expression grew even colder, openly displaying her disdain.
Why are there disgusting scumbags everywhere?
Fortunately, Kanade had intervened before anything happened. Otherwise, she'd have been left thoroughly disgusted.
Seeing that Utaha was unharmed, Kanade turned his full attention to the man.
"Unlock your phone and hand it over. I'll check it, and if nothing's there, you can go," Kanade demanded, his tone icy.
Kanade despised trash like this. To him, they were parasites, serving no purpose other than driving up food prices.
The man's pupils shrank. He hunched his shoulders and stammered, "I… I just wanted to remind her that sleeping here isn't good—she might catch a cold…"
"Ha." Kanade scoffed. "Two choices. One: I call the police and let them investigate. Two: I check it myself. Your call."
The man panicked, struggling desperately to break free. But the more he struggled, the tighter Kanade's grip became. Eventually, unable to bear the pain, the man cried, "Alright, alright, I'll give it to you!"
At first, the man had been confident he could bluff his way out, as he'd done many times before. But this high schooler—this absurdly tall and strong high schooler—had seen through him completely. What kind of teenager was this intimidating?
What rotten luck, the man thought bitterly. Though annoyed, he decided it wasn't worth the fight. Losing some "precious collections" was better than getting caught. There were always more opportunities to take secret photos, as long as he didn't get arrested.
Kanade didn't care what the man was thinking. He took the phone and twisted the man's wrist further, keeping him in a painful but immobilized position. Then, Kanade began scrolling through the photo gallery.
What he found made his blood boil. His face darkened, and fury flashed across his eyes.
This scum isn't just a parasite. He's a menace to society.
Unable to stomach any more, Kanade snapped a few photos for evidence, pocketed the man's phone, and delivered a solid punch to his gut.
With a dull thud, the man collapsed, clutching his stomach and wailing in pain.
"No injustice here," Kanade muttered, spitting in disgust before turning to Utaha. "Senpai, call the police."
He didn't want to deal with it further. Letting the police handle it seemed the best option, especially since he'd already gathered evidence. He wasn't worried about the man denying anything.
And honestly, while punching the guy had felt good, it wasn't enough. Only knowing the man would suffer real consequences could bring Kanade true satisfaction.
Kasumigaoka Utaha initially glared at the sleazy man on the floor with undisguised disgust. However, her attention soon shifted entirely to her "violent" junior.
What's going on? she wondered. So my junior has this rough, untamed side to him? She had always thought of him as a calm and mild-mannered person.
But strangely, she couldn't bring herself to dislike this side of him. On the contrary, it made her feel a surprising sense of security.
"Yes, I've already called the police," Utaha said, nodding to herself as she moved closer to him. Without any sense of timing, she reached out and began feeling his arm.
"??? What are you doing, Senpai?" Kanade was dumbfounded, completely thrown off by her actions. Is this really the time for this?
"Nothing, I just wanted to feel for myself. You don't look particularly muscular, but it turns out you're really strong…" Utaha continued, thoroughly enjoying herself. She pinched and prodded, marveling at the firmness of his muscles. It only reinforced her belief that boys really were physically different from girls.
However, Kanade seemed even stronger than most… maybe she'd have to experience more of his strength personally to fully understand.
"No, no, I'm actually pretty impressive already," Kanade said with a small eye roll. He wasn't bragging—just recalling how he'd compared himself to his peers during swim class. He wasn't as buff as those sports-obsessed jocks, but for someone like him who didn't train constantly, his physique was well above average.
Besides, overtraining often attracted… the wrong kind of attention.
"Uh-huh, sure, whatever you say." Utaha dismissed his words with a laugh, clearly uninterested in the specifics.
"╮(╯▽╰)╭" Kanade could only shrug, resigned to her teasing.
As they chatted casually, they completely ignored the kneeling man's feelings—not that he needed to feel anything. The police arrived promptly, eager to handle a case that promised tangible results. A classic duo of officers soon entered the scene.
After taking statements and examining the evidence Kanade provided, the officers quickly confirmed the situation. Seeing the man groveling on the floor, they didn't even bother reprimanding Kanade for his "violence." Instead, they praised him for his bravery and decisive action.
After hauling the disheartened scumbag away, the police suggested that Kanade visit the station to make a formal statement and even offered to present him with a letter of commendation. However, Kanade politely declined.
He wasn't interested in public recognition, especially not for something like this.
"Junior-kun, you were so heroic today! If I were to grade you as a knight, I'd give you a solid 10 out of 10!" Utaha said playfully, giving Kanade's side a light poke. Her gaze sparkled with admiration she couldn't conceal.
Saving the damsel in distress… cliché but still so satisfying.
"Oh? That's rare, getting a perfect score from you," Kanade replied, feigning indifference.
In truth, he felt quite pleased, though his satisfaction stemmed more from putting the sleazy man in his place than from her praise.
"But you'll need to keep working hard," Utaha added with a teasing grin. "You're still 90 points short of a perfect score!"
Kanade's face fell. So it's out of 100? Then again, considering Utaha was the one grading, it didn't seem all that absurd. He decided not to dwell on it and changed the topic.
"It's getting late. Let's head back before we miss the last train," he said.
"No need to rush. I checked earlier, and the last train leaves in two hours. We can grab dinner before heading back—I'm getting hungry," Utaha replied, shaking her head.
She had burned through a lot of energy earlier, and while her mind felt clear, her body was craving fuel.
"Fair enough," Kanade agreed. He didn't care where they ate, as long as they avoided any questionable establishments.
Unfamiliar with the area, he pulled out his phone to search for nearby restaurants. Utaha leaned in closer, trying to peek at his screen.
"Don't you have your own phone? Don't tell me you're too lazy to use it," Kanade said, giving her a sidelong glance.
"I'm saving battery—it's almost dead," Utaha lied without hesitation. In reality, her phone hadn't been used much and likely had double or even triple Kanade's remaining battery life.
"…" Kanade sighed but didn't argue, focusing instead on finding a decent place to eat.
It didn't take long for them to settle on a family restaurant with good reviews.
"How about this one? It looks pretty reliable," Kanade suggested, pointing to a picture on his screen.
Utaha nodded. "This one works. It's close, too."
The two exchanged a glance.
"..."
"..."
Wait a second, they both thought. Why does this feel backward? Isn't the girl supposed to focus on the aesthetic, and the guy on the convenience?
Without further discussion, they checked their belongings and set off, following the map.
On the way, Kanade suddenly remembered something. "Ah, I left my popcorn and soda in the theater! I barely even touched them."
"You didn't drink any?" Utaha asked, surprised. Only now did she recall the little prank she had played.
Kanade turned his head and gave her a subtle look before nodding. "I think I only had a sip or two."
He vaguely remembered taking a small sip to steady his nerves, but that was about it.
So it was the soda… Kanade thought, his mind racing. He was sure Utaha had done something to it, but at the time, he'd been too distracted to notice. Reflecting on it now, he couldn't recall anything unusual.
The flavor had been normal, with no hint of tampering. She wouldn't have had time to add something like wasabi, and the popcorn had tasted fine too.
What exactly did she do…?
Utaha opened her mouth as if to explain, but no words came out.
Well… it was just a sip or two. That counts, right?
In truth, all she had done was sneak a few sips of his soda while he was in the restroom. She'd originally planned to moisten the popcorn a little and put it back, but the idea had felt too embarrassing. In the end, she'd settled for the soda, hoping he'd notice the slight decrease and realize they'd "indirectly kissed."
But now that she thought about it, Kanade didn't seem to have noticed at all. If anything, her prank had only left her flustered.
If I had known, I would've just boldly grabbed his drink and taken a sip in front of him, she thought bitterly.
Seeing Kanade's lack of reaction, Utaha assumed he had no clue what had happened. In reality, Kanade was already deep in thought, analyzing every possible angle—but he hid it so well that Utaha had no idea.